On Sunday, June 21, 2020 at 1:50:42 PM UTC-4, Ralph Mowery wrote:
In article ,
says...

I know this thread is old.
Did anyone ever find a solution?
I have older 025c, which is rarely used (but I run it dry when I do use it).
I can barely pull the starter cord. If I remove the spark plug, can pull with one finger. Removing the muffler does not help. Removing the chain/bar did not help.
No obvious scars on the piston/rings.
I put some oil on the piston/rings, no difference.
I'm at a loss.



I never run a 2 cycle engine empty. The gas has the oil in it to
lubercate the internal parts. I do use the unleaded gas and most of the
time add the Sta-bil to it just to be sure.

I do run my 4 cycle engines dry as the oil is in the crank case and the
gas can get into it over a long period of time. I hae a tiller that is
arund 10 years old and only use it for about a week in the spring. It
sits for 11 months and will start on the 1st or 2nd pull. Same with a 5
kw generator.

Understood about using Sta-bil, etc.
In my case, I can go years between uses. I'm not sure Sta-bil ideal for that long a period of inactivity.
That would not explain why I can easily pull cord, with plug removed.
It worked fine when I last used it, couple yrs ago.